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The surname Burkholder was first found in Swabia, where the name was closely identified in early medieval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and would become noted for its involvement in social, economic, and political affairs.
Saint Burchard (d. 754), was the first bishop of Würzburg and it believed to have been from a noble English family, "but beyond this fact there is nothing authentic known respecting his origin. He was one of the most active associates of his countryman, St. Boniface, Archbishop of Mayence. In the autumn of 741 he was consecrated bishop of Würzburg by Boniface, who at the same time established two other bishoprics, Buraburg and Eichstädt, to which he appointed his friends Witta and Willibald. " 1
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burkholder research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1506 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Burkholder History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Burkholder include Burkhard, Burkhardt, Burckhard, Burckhardt, Burkhart, Burckhart, Burkholder and many more.
Notables with the surname Burkholder during this period were Johann Burchard, also spelled Johannes Burchart (c.1450 - 1506), an Alsatian-born priest and chronicler during the Italian Renaissance; and...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Burkholder Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Burkholder is the 4,370th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2
After 1650, thousands of German settlers came to North America to escape the religious persecution and poverty that wracked Europe and to make the most of the opportunity to own their own land in a new country. They settled across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, and in Canada in Ontario and on the fertile plains of the prairie provinces. Among them:
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: